Show simple item record

dc.contributor.authorBrodin, Anders
dc.contributor.authorNilsson, Jan‑Åke
dc.contributor.authorNord, Andreas
dc.date.accessioned2018-07-03T08:56:06Z
dc.date.available2018-07-03T08:56:06Z
dc.date.issued2017-08-03
dc.description.abstractSeveral species of small birds are resident in boreal forests where environmental temperatures can be −20 to −30 °C, or even lower, in winter. As winter days are short, and food is scarce, winter survival is a challenge for small endothermic animals. A bird of this size will have to gain almost 10% of its lean body mass in fat every day to sustain overnight metabolism. Birds such as parids (titmice and chickadees) can use facultative hypothermia, a process in which body temperature is actively down-regulated to a specific level, to reduce heat loss and thus save energy. During cold winter nights, these birds may decrease body temperature from the normal from 42 ° down to 35 °C, or even lower in some species. However, birds are unable to move in this deep hypothermic state, making it a risky strategy if predators are around. Why, then, do small northern birds enter a potentially dangerous physiological state for a relatively small reduction in energy expenditure? We used stochastic dynamic programming to investigate this. Our model suggests that the use of nocturnal hypothermia at night is paramount in these biomes, as it would increase winter survival for a small northern bird by 58% over a winter of 100 days. Our model also explains the phenomenon known as winter fattening, and its relationship to thermoregulation, in northern birds.en_US
dc.descriptionSource at <a href= https://dx.doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00442-017-3923-3> https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00442-017-3923-3 </a>.en_US
dc.identifier.citationBrodin, A., Nilsson, J-Å. & Nord, A. (2017). Adaptive temperature regulation in the little bird in winter: predictions from a stochastic dynamic programming model. Oecologia, 185(1), 43-54. https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00442-017-3923-3en_US
dc.identifier.cristinIDFRIDAID 1528565
dc.identifier.doi10.1007/s00442-017-3923-3
dc.identifier.issn0029-8549
dc.identifier.issn1432-1939
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10037/13127
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherSpringer Verlagen_US
dc.relation.journalOecologia
dc.rights.accessRightsopenAccessen_US
dc.subjectVDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Zoologiske og botaniske fag: 480::Etologi: 485en_US
dc.subjectVDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480::Ethology: 485en_US
dc.subjectVDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480::Zoophysiology and comparative physiology: 483en_US
dc.subjectVDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Zoologiske og botaniske fag: 480::Zoofysiologi og komparativ fysiologi: 483en_US
dc.subjectHypothermiaen_US
dc.subjectLittle bird in winteren_US
dc.subjectFacultative hypothermiaen_US
dc.subjectWinter fatteningen_US
dc.subjectDynamic programmingen_US
dc.subjectHeterothermyen_US
dc.subjectBody temperature regulationen_US
dc.titleAdaptive temperature regulation in the little bird in winter: predictions from a stochastic dynamic programming modelen_US
dc.typeJournal articleen_US
dc.typeTidsskriftartikkelen_US
dc.typePeer revieweden_US


File(s) in this item

Thumbnail

This item appears in the following collection(s)

Show simple item record